People for Urban Progress (PUP), an Indianapolis-based nonprofit specializing in advancing civic sustainability, has partnered with Amtrak to re-purpose leather seat covers from 20 refreshed Amtrak Acela Express train sets. Instead of heading to landfill, they will be transformed into luxury bags.

Acela Express trains that can reach 150 mph. This makes it the fastest railroad in the Americas, and among the ten fastest in the world. It travels from Washington, D.C. to Boston with stops in Philadelphia and New York and elsewhere.

Amtrak is refreshing the interiors of its current Acela trainsets before the next-generation Acela fleet debuts in 2021. These seat materials from the current Acela trainsets were retired after about 10 years of service.

Here, the Amtrak Acela leather seat parts arrive at PUP facilities. PUP designers had to separate the leather from the foam seat, dry clean the leather utilizing an environmentally friendly process and then cut the leather and sew it together to create each product.

Here, the Amtrak Acela leather seat parts arrive at PUP facilities. PUP designers had to separate the leather from the foam seat, dry clean the leather utilizing an environmentally friendly process and then cut the leather and sew it together to create each product.

PUP designers removed the seats from the leather.

These are the seats after removed from the trains.

All bags are developed and hand-made by the designers at PUP, who also developed the process of re-purposing the seats.

All bags are developed and hand-made by the designers at PUP, who also developed the process of re-purposing the seats.

PUP designers spent time in prototype meetings.

PUP designers work on the bag protype.

The first launch of the Amtrak Collection designed by PUP includes slate blue luxury leather bags. The collection has totes, backpacks and a dopp kit. Approximately 2,500 bags are expected to roll out in small-batch releases during the next 10 to 12 months.

These women are carrying passenger totes from the Amtrak Collection.

This woman is carrying passenger totes from the Amtrak Collection.

01/14

People for Urban Progress (PUP), an Indianapolis-based nonprofit specializing in advancing civic sustainability, has partnered with Amtrak to re-purpose leather seat covers from 20 refreshed Amtrak Acela Express train sets. Instead of heading to landfill, they will be transformed into luxury bags.

02/14

Acela Express trains that can reach 150 mph. This makes it the fastest railroad in the Americas, and among the ten fastest in the world. It travels from Washington, D.C. to Boston with stops in Philadelphia and New York and elsewhere.

03/14

Amtrak is refreshing the interiors of its current Acela trainsets before the next-generation Acela fleet debuts in 2021. These seat materials from the current Acela trainsets were retired after about 10 years of service.

04/14

Here, the Amtrak Acela leather seat parts arrive at PUP facilities. PUP designers had to separate the leather from the foam seat, dry clean the leather utilizing an environmentally friendly process and then cut the leather and sew it together to create each product.

05/14

Here, the Amtrak Acela leather seat parts arrive at PUP facilities. PUP designers had to separate the leather from the foam seat, dry clean the leather utilizing an environmentally friendly process and then cut the leather and sew it together to create each product.

06/14

PUP designers removed the seats from the leather.

07/14

These are the seats after removed from the trains.

08/14

All bags are developed and hand-made by the designers at PUP, who also developed the process of re-purposing the seats.

09/14

All bags are developed and hand-made by the designers at PUP, who also developed the process of re-purposing the seats.

10/14

PUP designers spent time in prototype meetings.

11/14

PUP designers work on the bag protype.

12/14

The first launch of the Amtrak Collection designed by PUP includes slate blue luxury leather bags. The collection has totes, backpacks and a dopp kit. Approximately 2,500 bags are expected to roll out in small-batch releases during the next 10 to 12 months.